NFL Predictions: Week 17

Last Week's Record: 8-8
Cumulative Season Record: 147-93 ( +54 )
_______________________________________________________

Panthers @ Falcons: FALCONS

Steelers @ Browns: STEELERS

Vikings @ Lions: VIKINGS

Raiders @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Dolphins @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

Buccaneers @ Saints: SAINTS

Bills @ Jets: JETS

Bengals @ Ravens: RAVENS

Chargers @ Broncos: CHARGERS

Bears @ Packers: PACKERS

Titans @ Colts: COLTS

Cowboys @ Eagles: EAGLES

Cardinals @ 49ers: 49ERS

Giants @ Redskins: GIANTS

Jaguars @ Texans: TEXANS

SNF: Rams @ Seahawks: RAMS
__________________________________________________

SNF: Sunday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 16

Last Week's Record: 7-9
Cumulative Season Record: 139-85 ( +54 )
_____________________________________________

TNF: Panthers @ Steelers: STEELERS

SAT NF: Cowboys @ Cardinals: COWBOYS

49ers @ Rams: RAMS

Patriots @ Bills: PATRIOTS

Ravens @ Browns: RAVENS

Redskins @ Jaguars: JAGUARS

Titans @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Lions @ Dolphins: DOLPHINS

Jets @ Bears: BEARS

Texans @ Broncos: TEXANS

Colts @ Raiders: COLTS

Chargers @ Bengals: CHARGERS

Giants @ Packers: GIANTS

Seahawks @ Buccaneers: BUCCANEERS

SNF: Vikings @ Eagles: EAGLES

MNF: Saints @ Falcons: FALCONS
______________________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SAT NF=Saturday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 15

Last Week's Record: 12-4

Cumulative Season Record: 132-76 (+56)
_________________________________________

TNF: 49ers @ Chargers: CHARGERS

Browns @ Bengals: BROWNS

Redskins @ Cowboys: COWBOYS

Texans @ Titans: TEXANS

Jaguars @ Colts: JAGUARS

Chiefs @ Rams: RAMS

Bills @ Dolphins: DOLPHINS

Eagles @ Giants: GIANTS

Lions @ Buccaneers: BUCCANEERS

Cardinals @ Panthers: CARDINALS

Saints @ Ravens: RAVENS

Falcons @ Seahawks: FALCONS

Broncos @ Raiders: RAIDERS

Jets @ Steelers: STEELERS

SNF: Packers @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

MNF: Bears @ Vikings: BEARS
________________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 14

Last Week's Record: 11-5
Cumulative Season Record: 120-72
___________________________________________

TNF: Colts @ Titans: COLTS

Browns @ Bills: BROWNS

Packers @ Lions: PACKERS

Giants @ Vikings: GIANTS

Bengals @ Steelers: STEELERS

Buccaneers @ Redskins: BUCCANEERS

Falcons @ Panthers: FALCONS

Raiders @ Jaguars: JAGUARS

Rams @ Saints: SAINTS

Seahawks @ 49ers: 49ERS

Patriots @ Bears: PATRIOTS

Dolphins @ Jets: JETS

Broncos @ Cardinals: BRONCOS

Chiefs @ Chargers: CHARGERS

SNF: Eagles @ Cowboys: EAGLES

MNF: Ravens @ Texans: RAVENS
_____________________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 13

Last Week's Record: 12-4
Cumulative Season Record: 109-67
__________________________________________

TNF: Texans @ Eagles: EAGLES

Jaguars @ Titans: JAGUARS

Saints @ Bengals: SAINTS

49ers @ Packers: PACKERS

Broncos @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Browns @ Dolphins: DOLPHINS

Bills @ Vikings: VIKINGS

Redskins @ Giants: GIANTS

Bears @ Lions: BEARS

Raiders @ Chargers: CHARGERS

Rams @ Cardinals: RAMS

Cowboys @ Colts: COLTS

Panthers @ Seahawks: SEAHAWKS

Falcons @ Buccaneers: FALCONS

SNF: Steelers @ Ravens: RAVENS

MNF: Jets @ Patriots: JETS
_____________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 12

Last Week's Record: 13-3
Cumulative Season Record: 97-63
______________________________________

TNF: Patriots @ Lions: PATRIOTS

TNF: Saints @ Cowboys: SAINTS

TNF: Bengals @ Jets: JETS

Titans @ Texans: TEXANS

Jaguars @ Giants: GIANTS

Vikings @ Redskins: REDSKINS

Panthers @ Browns: BROWNS

Steelers @ Bills: STEELERS

Packers @ Falcons: FALCONS

Eagles @ Bears: EAGLES

Dolphins @ Raiders: RAIDERS

Chiefs @ Seahawks: CHIEFS

Rams @ Broncos: RAMS

Buccaneers @ Ravens: RAVENS

SNF: Chargers @ Colts: COLTS

MNF: 49ers @ Cardinals: 49ERS
__________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 11

Last Week's Record: 7-7
Cumulative Season Record: 84-60
_______________________________________

TNF: Bears @ Dolphins: BEARS

Raiders @ Steelers: STEELERS

Redskins @ Titans: TITANS

Ravens @ Panthers: RAVENS

Bills @ Bengals: BENGALS

Lions @ Cowboys: COWBOYS

Browns @ Jaguars: BROWNS

Cardinals @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Packers @ Vikings: PACKERS

Texans @ Jets: JETS

Seahawks @ Saints: SAINTS

Buccaneers @ 49ers: BUCCANEERS

Falcons @ Rams: FALCONS

Colts @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

SNF: Giants @ Eagles: EAGLES

MNF: Broncos @ Chargers: CHARGERS
___________________________________

TNF=Thursday Night Football
SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

NFL Predictions: Week 10

Last Week's Record: 10-3
Cumulative Season Record: 77-53
_______________________________________

Ravens @ Falcons: RAVENS

Lions @ Bills: BILLS

Vikings @ Bears: BEARS

Jets @ Browns: JETS

Bengals @ Colts: COLTS

Titans @ Dolphins: TITANS

Panthers @ Buccaneers: BUCCANEERS

Texans @ Jaguars: TEXANS

Chiefs @ Broncos: CHIEFS

Cowboys @ Giants: GIANTS

Seahawks @ Cardinals: SEAHAWKS

Rams @ 49ers: RAMS

SNF: Patriots @ Steelers: STEELERS

MNF: Eagles @ Redskins: EAGLES
____________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

CSN Stores Review: Chicago Bears Slippers

CSN Stores' Company Logo

As I previously posted, CSN Stores contacted me and asked that I do a review for one of their products. To be honest, I had never heard of this Boston-based company, but I felt this could be an interesting opportunity that I did not want to pass up.

Upon doing my research, I learned that, although CSN Stores has only been around since 2002, they have expanded to more than 200 websites, each geared towards a specific, but vast, product selection. It absolutely amazed me that in less than ten years this company was able to become one of the top three home and office goods e-tailers in the U.S.

So I worked with a member of the CSN Stores' promo team to wrinkle out the details of this review, and I can honestly say that she was as easy to talk to as anybody you'll find. Every question I had was expediently answered in full detail and the company's hospitality towards me, having never previously been on their website, was outstanding. They seemed to care not just about their customers as a whole but rather for each individual that they serve, and that resulted in fabulous customer service for me.

But on to the product! Seeing as this blog is dedicated to discussing Chicago sports, I decided on getting an item representative of my interest--so I went with Chicago Bears slippers!

The Chicago Bears are my favorite sports team, so I began by researching the products that CSN Stores carried relating to my hometown Bears. I found a very large variety of products with the Bears' design on them, including ping pong paddles, couches, inflatable chairs, mirrors, rugs, clocks, slippers and so much more! I never expected to find all these products, but I decided to go with the slippers (which they carry in two different varieties).

I could've gone with the classic slipper look, but I decided to get Bears' slippers that looked like shoes! Actually, they even have laces!



I didn't have to hesitate as to exactly what I would be receiving, because CSN Stores lists great product information on every selection! For these slippers, these are the features that were listed:

Features:

•Chicago Bears Slipper in Navy / Orange
•Part of the Chicago Bears collection
•Padded upper material
•Thick foam sole
•100% polyester slipper
•Warmest and most comfortable house slippers
•Machine washable and easy to clean
•Available in Navy / Orange

I just received the slippers today and they feel amazing! They are soft with a padding on the bottom that make them feel wonderful to walk around the house in! And in addition to great features, you don't have to worry about your shoe size because CSN Stores offers a variety of sizes! I'm sure they'll have exactly what you're looking for as their sizes are given in ranges for this product! They fit perfectly on me, but for anyone else with a foot size that's a little different, you can just tie the laces up and they'll fit snug on any foot!

One of the things that truly amazed me, though, was the speed in which I received my order. I have bought from other online stores, but CSN Stores was easily faster than all of the other ones. I ordered this product three days ago, and I am already wearing them! The slippers came exactly how I pictured them (and of course, CSN Stores has product images AND allows for zooming in anywhere) and best of all, there was FREE SHIPPING! Through browsing the selection of products from CSN Stores, I feel like nearly everything had a "Free Shipping" label on it!

But you don't have to take my word on anything--CSN Stores offers product overviews, dimensions and weights, manufacturer details, shipping information and customer reviews on each product!

So far, I have had one experience with CSN Stores and it was as perfect as can be. Amazing selection, wonderful prices, fabulous customer service and the fastest FREE shipping I have ever seen!

I am extremely happy that this company contacted me and gave me a chance to work with their great staff. Forget what website you've been going to! You have got to check out CSNStores.com and let them be your one-stop online shop! With over 200 websites, they'll be perfect for just about any product you desire!

Bears Week 9 Review (Bears 22--Bills 19)

The Story

The Bears crossed the Northern border and defeated the hapless Bills in Toronto 22-19 on Sunday. Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers while Chicago improved to 5-3 on the year with Minnesota coming to town next week.

Cutler, Offense Back On Track

Jay Cutler's two touchdowns didn't impress me as much as his 0 in the 'interceptions' column on the stat sheet. Since he has arrived in Chicago, Cutler has been as prone to interceptions as he has breathing. He did in fact fumble the ball on Sunday, but I would much rather see Cutler allow the ball to be swapped out of his hands than see him throw to the wrong colored jersey.

He competed less than 57% of his passes (17 for 30) but he made the plays when necessary and was credited for a passer rating of 101.4 in the win. He threw a dangerous dart into triple coverage that should've been picked off, but if "near-interceptions" was a statistic, I think we'd see many quarterbacks with worse numbers around the league, so I'm willing to let that one go.

But more importantly, the offense as a whole showed me many things that left me with a good feeling:

1) Late Deficits

It was great to see the offense be able to come back from a late deficit. When Chicago rallied back to take a 20-19 lead, there was only 6:41 left in the fourth. I've seen more than enough games come down to a late drive, and this team being able to convert some good throws into points can help them become a dangerous offense heading into the stretch months of the season.

2) Redzone/Third Downs

We've watched this team struggle in the last 20 yards of the field with Cutler's many interceptions and poor execution, but Chicago saw all three of its touchdowns come in the redzone while going 3 for 4 overall.

Third down has been one of the saddest statistics so far this year, as the Bears went through a strech in which they converted 3 tries out of 40 attempts. On Sunday, however, they managed to convert 7 of 12. By converting the majority of third down opportunities, the Bears allowed themselves to sustain their drives and force the Buffalo defense to stay on the field for extended periods of time.

3) Balanced Offense

Run the ball! Run the ball! Please, Mike Martz, run the ball!

Through the first seven games this year, Martz clearly favored the pass, which has made the job much easier for opposing defenses in crunch situations; it soon became common knowledge that Chicago would rely on Cutler's arm for every big time play needed. Offensive balance forces the defense to consider many more scenarios that the Bears can choose to execute.

On Sunday, we saw the effect of having a balanced offense. The run still didn't seem to be effective, but Chicago did end the game with 31 passes and 31 runs. That number is slightly misleading due to a few scrambles by Cutler, but balance was clearly intended nonetheless.

4) Offensive Line

The infamous Bears' O-line have allowed their quarterback to hit the turf more times this year than any other NFL team. But despite having more line changes than the Chicago Blackhawks, the Bears managed to hold the Bills' defense sackless until the fourth quarter, helped by the return of right guard Roberto Garza from injury. The greatest thing about this performance is that we can expect the same starting 5 next week, but unfortunately the Vikings' pass rush should be a little stronger than 0-8 Buffalo's.

5) Mixing Up The Play Call

Some of the greatest plays from Sunday's game came off of trick plays that were as unexpected to me as Buffalo's defense. Against Dallas in Week 2, Martz mixed in some interesting slants and screens that helped open up the defense. Sunday against Buffalo, Martz decided to use Buffalo as the test run for his new misdirections and shovel passes.

Okay, so misdirections have been used before, but the timing in which he decided to run it was brilliant. Chicago had well established the run but seemed to keep the ground game simple; no wildcat, no reverses, no draws. The misdirection run made the Buffalo defense shift to one side, and then Chicago penetrated from the opposite gap to gain big yardage.

I thought the shovel pass was executed brilliantly and also is perfect with this offense. Shovel passes are typically seen as a desperation move for a quarterback trying to avoid being sacked, but when implemented intentionally into an offensive gameplan they can act as a quick release play that can confuse a defense at the same time. This was especially seen with the Bears' two-point conversion when running back Matt Forte was barely touched on his way to the endzone after a shovel pass from Cutler.

Defense Continues to Thrive

The Bears' offense played well, but it was the defense that won them this game. Bears defensive end Israel Idonije returned to the country where he grew up and registered half a sack in the win, blocked a PAT and saw 7 quarterback hits between he and DE Julius Peppers combined.

The Bears, like they've shown nearly every game this year, know how to stop the run, as they allowed just 37 total yards from Buffalo in 16 attempts.

Chicago's defensive backfield struggled for much of the game, but the secondary showed up at crunch time, with cornerback Tim Jennings and safety Chris Harris making key interceptions to seal the victory late in the game. Jennings also had a team-leading 7 solo tackles as well.

Coaching

Mike Martz' gameplan, or perhaps Lovie Smith's gameplan, seemed to be a gem for this team on Sunday. When the team needed to convert on third down or they found themselves in the redzone, they seemed like they knew exactly what they wanted to do and, more importantly, they were able to execute it.

The greatest mark for this coaching staff to me, though, came with how detailed the Bears played this game. In their previous contest against Washington, Chicago turned the ball over 6 times, and this game just once. Many of the little things seemed to have been combed over with the bye week, and those are things that can be carried through every game and make for a better team as a whole.

Looking Ahead To Next Week

Next Sunday, Chicago welcomes Minnesota into Soldier Field for a Week 10 matchup that can very well determine whether Minny's season comes to a virtual close.

The Vikings managed to squeak out a 27-24 overtime win against Arizona last week, but they will be facing a much better team in Chicago, and this week they won't have the noise and temperature-controlled Metrodome to help them.

Vikings' quarterback Brett Favre threw for a career high 446 yards last week, but he has still thrown 13 interceptions this year, and he will be facing a Chicago defense that has 8 players with at least one interception half way through the season.

Factor in receivers Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe, though, and Favre will have more than enough weapons through the air. And of course with RB Adrain Peterson in the backfield, Minnesota can pick and choose however they want on offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings boast a top ten run defense and a line that is more than capable of getting to Jay Cutler.

The problem for this team is simply execution. They have all the weapons in the world, but execution is everything in sports. For this, the Bears have a great opportunity to beat up on Minnesota and run into a first place tie with Green Bay while the Pack enjoy their bye week.

*Preliminary Prediction: Vikings 20, Bears 27
________________________________________

*My official predictions are release on Thursdays

NFL Predictions: Week 9

Last Week's Record: 6-7
Cumulative Season Record: 67-50
________________________________________

Buccaneers @ Falcons: FALCONS

Bears @ Bills: BEARS

Patriots @ Browns: PATRIOTS

Jets @ Lions: JETS

Cardinals @ Vikings: VIKINGS

Saints @ Panthers: SAINTS

Dolphins @ Ravens: RAVENS

Chargers @ Texans: TEXANS

Giants @ Seahawks: GIANTS

Chiefs @ Raiders: RAIDERS

Colts @ Eagles: COLTS

SNF: Cowboys @ Packers: PACKERS

MNF: Steelers @ Bengals: STEELERS
____________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Special Review: Best Barstools Available at CSN Stores' New Website!

CSN Stores, a rapidly growing company with over 200 websites, contacted me and asked that I do a review of one of their products! But before I write the review (which will be coming soon), I'd like to let you all know about a brand new site from CSN Stores.

CSN Stores carries everything from furniture to luggage to footwear and continues to grow larger and larger every year. The newest piece of furniture from CSN Stores is barstools, which are available in just about every way you can imagine!

At CSN Stores' brand new site, AllBarstools.com, you can browse from an extremely wide variety of barstools, including swiveling stools, backless stools, adjustable stools, saddle stools and so much more! You can also focus a style towards a certain room of the house with kitchen stools or even get some for the patio with their outdoor stools! With more than 100 best selling styles to choose from (which start at just $59.99), you can't go wrong!

So check out CSN Stores' extremely wide variety of barstools to give your home or workplace that finishing touch it needs!

NFL Predictions: Week 8

Last Week's Record: 10-4
Cumulative Season Record: 61-43
____________________________________________

Dolphins @ Bengals: DOLPHINS

Jaguars @ Cowboys: COWBOYS

Redskins @ Lions: REDSKINS

Bills @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Panthers @ Rams: RAMS

Packers @ Jets: JETS

Broncos @ 49ers: BRONCOS

Titans @ Chargers: TITANS

Seahawks @ Raiders: SEAHAWKS

Vikings @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

Buccaneers @ Cardinals: BUCCANEERS

SNF: Steelers @ Saints: STEELERS

MNF: Texans @ Colts: COLTS
_______________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 7 Review (Redskins 17--Bears 14)

The Story

Jay Cutler threw four interceptions and the Bears turned the ball over six times whilst dropping a 17-14 decision to the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon. With its second straight loss, Chicago drops to 4-3 on the year and will enjoy their week off before traveling to Toronto for a Week 9 matchup with Buffalo.

Is Jay Okay?

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall was almost the Bears' leading receiver. Should I leave it at that?

It may have looked as if Cutler and Hall previously practiced some of those interceptions, but believe it or not, Cutler was trying to throw to the blue jerseys.

The quarterback reknowned for his physical toughness has experienced two poor performances since his return from the concussion experienced back on October 3rd, and both have been dismal to put it lightly. Not that Chicago's receivers weren't to blame for some of the miscues, but it's Cutler that ultimately tells the ball where to go, and he looked off target on several throws.

The media doesn't seem to be talking too much about his concussion anymore, but should the incident three weeks ago take part of the blame?

I say yes. Not to say that Jay looked like a shoo-in for the 2010 Pro Bowl before he hit the ground nine times against New York, but since then, he just hasn't looked the same. His passes are more off target, his reads are noticeably weaker and his decision making skills are looking slightly faded. I'm no doctor, but any injury revolving around the head is one that I would assume has long term side effects.

Offensive Line Woes Yet Again

Cutler hit the turf four times on the afternoon but, after seeing previous performances this season, it looked like a strong outing. But in all seriousness, when it came down to crunch time, the line proved capable of defending #6. In the last Bears' attempt to try for a score, desperate pass rush met a wall of determined Bears, and that's something positive to take away from this one.

Chicago only managed 66 yards on the ground, but then again the Bears only ran the ball 16 times (one of those being from Jay's sneak). When they chose to run, the line helped with providing the gaps, but Mike Martz never chose to establish a continued presence for the run game.

Blame It On the Coaches?

To begin with, Martz decided to go with only 15 rushes in 60 offensive plays. A lopsided ratio like that, and we've seen it in the majority of games this year, has proven time and time again that this Bears' offense is too predictable to work the right way. If Martz refuses to run the ball and Lovie refuses to make him, this Bears' offense will continue to have the most predictable gameplan of any NFL team. Sometimes I wonder if upcoming opponents even need to have film sessions.

Meanwhile, head coach Lovie Smith admitted in a media conference Monday that he should have thrown the challenge flag after Cutler's fumble from the one yard line. We all know, but it was still nice to hear the coach own up to his own failures.

Obviously Smith should've chucked that red flag onto the field the moment the referees pointed the other way, but we're not all perfect. My issue is that this team already has too many other problems--decision making from a 7th year head coach should not be one of them. And, just before that play, Smith decided to challenge the ruling that Earl Bennett's 48 yard catch and run didn't result in a score. Upon video review, Bennett's knee could be found anywhere but the endzone. Smith used the first challenge when he shouldn't have and he didn't use the second one when he should have--does that make sense?

Butterfingers

The most troubling statistic to me in this one is that Chicago turned the ball over 6 times (four interceptions, 2 fumbles). As a team that prides themselves on turnovers, this was considerably disturbing because perhaps the Bears need to worry more about themselves than their opponents.

Turnovers are such an integral part to football and, when you have six of them, you most likely will come up short. Although Chicago managed to force Washington to cough it up three times, offensive sloppiness cost this team a win.

Although only two of the six were because of fumbles, those are still two mistakes that should not be. Can you imagine how many games a team would win if they never turned the ball over? Enough to get them into the playoffs, that's for sure.

Looking Ahead to Buffalo

Two weeks from now, Chicago takes its act across the Northern border, into Toronto, for a Week 9 matchup with Buffalo. The Bills, the last winless team in the NFL, seek their first 'W' of the season against a Chicago team that will be coming fresh off a bye week.

Sure, their record couldn't be worse. But considering Miami, Green Bay, New England, Baltimore and the New York Jets were 5 of their 6 opponents, I'd say it's possible that their record is a little misleading.

On offense, Bills' QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has completed 63.3% of his passes this year for 969 yards, 11 TDs and 4 INTs that adds up to be a 102.0 passer rating. RB Fred Jackson only has 233 yards on the ground this season, but that's still a 4.2 average YPC. Through the air, receiver Steve Johnson has caught 25 balls for 372 yards with 5 touchdowns. Buffalo also boasts a capable receiver in Lee Evans, who's caught for 286 yards and 4 scores through the air.

Defensively, Buffalo doesn't impose very many real problems for the Bears, so I think this can be a way for Chicago to get some offensive swagger back. Buffalo may have some highlights on the offensive side of the ball, but that shouldn't be enough to get past a Bears' defense that has performed well the majority of the year.

In all three phases, I expect to see Chicago show Canadian fans how NFL football is really played.

*Preliminary Prediction: Bears 27, Bills 16
________________________________________

*My official predictions are released on Thursdays

NFL Predictions: Week 7

Last Week's Record: 9-5
Cumulative Season Record: 51-39
______________________________________

Bengals @ Falcons: FALCONS

Redskins @ Bears: REDSKINS

Eagles @ Titans: TITANS

Jaguars @ Chiefs: CHIEFS

Steelers @ Dolphins: STEELERS

Browns @ Saints: SAINTS

Rams @ Buccaneers: RAMS

49ers @ Panthers: 49ERS

Bills @ Ravens: RAVENS

Cardinals @ Seahawks: SEAHAWKS

Raiders @ Broncos: BRONCOS

Patriots @ Chargers: PATRIOTS

SNF: Vikings @ Packers: PACKERS

MNF: Giants @ Cowboys: GIANTS
_______________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 6 Review (Seahawks 23--Bears 20)

The Story

Jay Cutler was back at it under center after missing last week's start, but it wasn't enough, as the Bears dropped a 23-20 decision at home to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Bears drop to 4-2 on the 2010 campaign with one more home game before their bye week.

The Good

My favorite part of Sunday's game was whenever Chicago's special teams unit came onto the field; after all, that was the only part of the gameplan that seemed to work. Coming into this matchup, Seattle's return men were reasons for concern, but the Bears managed to hold Seahawks PR Golden Tate to negative yardage on four opportunities and they held KR Leon Washington to the equivalent of a little more than a touchback (21.8 avg) on four tries.

Although Bears KR Danieal Manning had a long kickoff return for a score nullified by a holding call, PR Devin Hester did what he does best and returned one for 6 points, penalty-free, that brought the game back within reach; it was the 13th time in his young career, already matching the NFL record.

Bears K Robbie Gould missed a try from 54 yards out, but he hit from 24 and 34 yards to finish 2 for 3 on the afternoon. To mirror a good performance, Bears P Brad Maynard booted three punts inside the twenty.

Although the receiving core didn't perform well enough to win, three Bears (Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett) managed receptions of more than 30 yards, and Knox caught for a career high 120 yards on the day.

The Bad

The entire offense and defense deserves to be talked about in this section, but I want to specifically focus on the linebackers and safeties, mostly because this is their first subpar performance of the season. Based on Seattle's offensive weapons, or lack thereof, I expected the nasty Bears' D to be licking their chops to get at QB Matt Hasselbeck, but instead they fought for a close loss.

The line failed to establish any pass rush whatsoever and the defensive backs allowed big plays via the pass and the run; Seahawks RBs Justin Forsett and Marshawn Lynch combined for 111 yards out of the backfield and WRs Mike Williams and Deon Butler for 170 yards through the air.

There were no sacks, interceptions or fumble recoveries on the afternoon for the Chicago D', and considering head coach Lovie Smith prides his team on takeaways, that statistic disturbs me the most.

The Ugly

Twice I've had a section of my review titled "The Ugly" and twice the offensive line has made their way on it...noticing a trend?

This line (which is the fourth different starting lineup in six games this year) allowed Cutler to be taken down six times by a Seattle defense that hasn't boasted many sacks this season. The worst part is that they weren't getting taken advantage of up front very often; the sacks were a result of mixed blitz schemes outside the range of the Bears' tackles. So that means that Chicago not only can't pass protect straight up the gut, they also can't defend edge rushers--so what are they there for?

Welcome Back Jay?

Call it strange, but I am tempted to say that the time I most appreciated Cutler was when I saw Todd Collins under center against Carolina. Chicago has certainly had it's rough times with Jay in almost a year and a half in a Bears' uniform, but Collins' performance might've made Coach Smith consider putting the waterboy in as quarterback.

So after seeing how low things can get at the quarterback position, the Bears welcomed back the concussed Cutler against a defense he should've opened wide up. Instead, he completed only 17 passes in 39 attempts for 290 yards and a dismal 69.4 QB rating. If the openings aren't there, they're not there--but the trouble is that there were plenty of missed opportunities and failed conversions--not because of the line, not because of the receivers, but because of poor decisions from the quarterback.

So was this an 'off game' or the start of a decline?

Interesting Stats

1) In 21 games with Chicago, Cutler has already been sacked more times than in three years in a Broncos uniform.

2) In their lasted 40 attempts, Chicago has managed just 3 third down conversions.

3) Offensive coordinator Mike Martz chose 41 pass plays and 12 rushes this week with Cutler back in the mix. He only selected 19 passes against 42 rushes last week with Collins under center.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next Sunday, the Bears look to retain their one game lead in the North in a Week 7 matchup with the Washington Redskins (3-3) in the friendly confines of Soldier Field.

Washington is coming off a 27-24 loss to Indianapolis last week. I don't know how many agree with this, but to me, a close loss to Indy is still a moral victory in some sense.

The biggest news in Washington's offseason was the aquisition of long time Eagle's quarterback Donovan McNabb. This year, McNabb has completed 125 of 215 passes (58.1%) for 1,561 yards with 5 TDs, 5 INTs and a passer rating of 78.8%.

Despite mediocre stats, McNabb knows how to handle football games and find open receivers as well as anybody. And he isn't the only weapon for the Redskins, as RB Ryan Torain has rushed for 256 yards and 4.2 ypc. Through the air, Washington boasts Santana Moss, who has already caught for 485 yards in just 6 games. And, as veterans usually do, McNabb has found a way to mix other receivers in the offensive gameplan, which of course will make Chicago's D' have a much harder afternoon.

On defense, safety LaRon Landry has made 48 tackles, 15 assists and 1 sack this year and looks to continue against a troubled offense in Chicago. The Bears will also have to focus on linebacker London Fletcher, who has registered 37 tackles, 23 assists and 1.5 sacks.

Last week, Chicago lost a game they most certainly should have won, but I am willing to call this a temporary slip up if they show up against a much more dangerous team in Washington. For all the negative air around this team, I believe they boast more than enough talent to be a playoff contender, but it all happens by winning the games you should. The biggest obstacle is that Chicago's offensive line has been a very noticeable kryptonite, and I expect Washington to trouble Cutler's composure in the pocket as well as all the other teams have done.

*Preliminary Prediction: Redskins 24, Bears 20
___________________________________________

*My official predictions are released on Thursdays

NFL Predictions: Week 6

Last Week's Record: 7-7
Cumulative Season Record: 42-34
___________________________________________

Seahawks @ Bears: BEARS

Dolphins @ Packers: PACKERS

Chargers @ Rams: CHARGERS

Ravens @ Patriots: RAVENS

Lions @ Giants: GIANTS

Falcons @ Eagles: FALCONS

Browns @ Steelers: STEELERS

Saints @ Buccaneers: SAINTS

Chiefs @ Texans: TEXANS

Jets @ Broncos: JETS

Raiders @ 49ers: 49ERS

Cowboys @ Vikings: VIKINGS

SNF: Colts @ Redskins: COLTS

MNF: Titans @ Jaguars: TITANS
_____________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 5 Review (Bears 23--Panthers 6)

The Outcome

With Jay Cutler nursing a mild concussion on the sidelines, Matt Forte managed to pick up the slack and lead Chicago to a 23-6 victory in Bank of America Stadium. By improving to a 4-1 record on the season, Chicago finds itself in a tie for first place in the NFL.

Offense

The Bears always claim they need to "get off the bus running", but today they followed through on this by handing off the rock early and watching Forte do the rest. He ran for 166 yards on the day (which is more than every other game this year combined), including two early scores to help the Bears to an early 17-3 lead. In total, Chicago rushed for 218 yards on 42 carries, an average of 5.2 YPC.

In relief of Cutler, Todd Collins threw 4 INTs and saw a passer rating of 6.2. He was pulled in the fourth quarter for third string QB Caleb Hanie, who completed 2 of 3 passes for 19 yards and an 84.0 rating. Because of Collins' struggles, Bears' receivers were unable to help Chicago through the air as the leading receiver, Forte, caught two balls for 22 yards.

Defense

Despite offensive troubles, the defense created huge plays by way of 5 sacks and 3 interceptions. But the only number that matters is points allowed, and I'm sure nobody on the Bears' D is complaining at 6. Although Carolina is the lowest scoring team in the league, the Bears still allowed 5.5 points less than the Panthers' 11.5 average.

Coming into this matchup, the spotlight on the Panther's offense was on running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Despite early success out of the backfield, Chicago managed to limit the total damage to 20 carries for 81 yards combined.

Individually speaking, I thought Israel Idonije had the strongest game with 7 tackles, 2 assists, a forced fumble and 3 sacks. His consistent pressure, along with Peppers', provided more than enough to get Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen out the pocket. Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Peppers saw interceptions as well.

Special Teams

Despite being a unit often overlooked, special teams set up the Bears' first touchdown and was directly responsible for 9 of the Bears 23 points. Devin Hester and Danieal Manning saw some great returns and Robbie Gould nailed a career-long 53 yard field goal.

If Cutler can't go next week, should it be Collins or Hanie under center?

If anyone would've answered Todd Collins at noon on Sunday, I'm pretty sure they would've changed their answer by 3:15.

Collins didn't look good in the preseason, he didn't look good against the Giants last week and he looked atrocious against the Panthers on Sunday. There's a reason he has only started 21 games in 16 years.

Meanwhile, the Bears have a young talent sitting on the bench thinking, "Why am I not on the field"? Hanie has proven he can manage a game, or at least much moreso than Collins. I don't mean to say that I think he should be a starter in the NFL just yet, but at the moment he makes for a textbook backup. Also, considering the speed in the Bears' receiving core, Hanie's stronger arm is an added incentive, as the ability to stretch the field is usually a key component in a Mike Martz gameplan. 

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next Sunday, the Bears try to keep sole possession of first place in the NFC North when they take on the 2-2 Seattle Seahawks in Soldier Field.

Seattle is coming off a bye week, but in Week 4 they saw a 20-3 defeat to St. Louis in the Edward Jones Dome. On the year, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck has completed 77 of 126 passes for 814 yards, 4 TDs, 6 INTs and a passer rating of 70.7. Seattle's running back, Justin Forsett, has seen limited action in 4 games this year with 51 carries for 215 yards and no touchdowns. Through the air, Hasselbeck likes to spread the ball around and get all his receivers involved.

Defensively, Seattle looks to provide pass rush with DEs Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock, who have 6 sacks combined this year. In the backfield, saftey Earl Thomas and cornerback Marcus Trufant look to slow a Chicago offense that should have QB Jay Cutler back in the mix.

With Cutler back at it under center (most likely) and Forte's newfound rhythm running the ball, I am expecting the Bears to come out looking solid in all phases, also factoring in their home field advantage for the first time this month.

*Preliminary Prediction: Seahawks 17, Bears 27
_____________________________________

*My official predictions are released on Thursdays

NFL Predictions: Week 5

Last Week's Record: 7-7
Cumulative Season Record: 35-27
______________________________________________

Jaguars @ Bills: JAGUARS

Buccaneers @ Bengals: BENGALS

Falcons @ Browns: FALCONS

Rams @ Lions: LIONS

Chiefs @ Colts: COLTS

Packers @ Redskins: PACKERS

Bears @ Panthers: BEARS

Broncos @ Ravens: RAVENS

Giants @ Texans: TEXANS

Saints @ Cardinals: SAINTS

Titans @ Cowboys: COWBOYS

Chargers @ Raiders: CHARGERS

SNF: Eagles @ 49ers: 49ERS

MNF: Vikings @ Jets: JETS
_____________________________________________

SNF: Sunday Night Football
MNF: Monday Night Football

Bears Week 4 Review (Bears 3--Giants 17)

The Story

I'm not sure if the Bears' offense got an invitation, but I am sure it didn't attend the party. Early offensive troubles up front continued throughout the first half and Jay Cutler was logged for 9 sacks in a 17-3 loss to the New York Giants in New Meadowlands Stadium. With its first lost, Chicago moves to 3-1 on the 2010 campaign, and, although the Bears are still atop the North, Cutler's concussion suffered in the first half leaves reason for concern for the immediate future of this franchise.

Let me first say this: you're not going to win too many games when the offense is harder to find than Waldo. Cutler had more sacks (9) than completions (8). Blame doesn't just go to the line for this terrible effort, however; tight ends didn't make the strong-side strong and Cutler himself failed to react on a few quick openings in the defense. But one of the most important aspects of an offense is third down convertions. The fact that the Bears went 0-13 on third downs proves an atrocious offensive effort with that statistic alone.

And tell me if you've ever heard this before--the running game never got going.

With 59 total yards on the ground, 114 yards through the air (which includes 2 INTs) and having two quarterbacks knocked out of the game, the Bears offense officially gets my vote for Worst Effort (and I've seen some doosies).

I thought the defense performed well enough to win, but the offense's short drives left Urlacher & Company coming onto the field more and more exhausted. And even the highly regarded run defense deteriorated late in the game, giving up 189 rush yards and also the top spot in the category of run defense.

They say defense wins championships, but with those defenses usually comes an offense capable of putting more than three points on the board (and even that field goal was due to a defensive turnover). But all in all, the first fourth of the season still saw a nice looking 3-1 record, and a few upcoming games have W written all over them if Cutler can recover quickly enough.

The Good

Good performances were hard to come by for the Bears in this one, but at least the defense found a way to keep the inept offense in the game through 3 quarters. Julius Peppers created a big play by sacking Giants QB Eli Manning which knocked the ball out and changed the direction of gameplay. Chris Harris also recovered a fumble and Danieal Manning had a team-high 8 tackles.

The Bad

I was tempted to write, "The first 60 minutes of gameplay", but I thought I'd try to sort this thing out the right way. Since there was an unusually abundant amount of problems from the Bears throughout this game, I'll just highlight the ones that stood out the most to me. (Offensive line will be discussed in the next section.)

1) Quarterbacks
----------Obviously most of the trauma from this position was due to a historically poor effort from the offensive line, but you can still attribute some of the pain and suffering to Cutler holding the ball for too long. He had Johnny Knox open on a slant route, to name an example, but opted to check it down in search of a lengthier pass play. Part of playing the quarterback position, especially with a weak offensive line, is having the ability to hit receivers quickly. Cutler had a hard time all night reading and reacting to the situation properly, as illustrated by many missed blitz pickups, three fumbles, open recievers and off target throws (including an interception), especially an underthrown deep ball to Devin Hester along the right sideline. Todd Collins, who replaced Cutler (concussion) after halftime, didn't fare much better as he went 4-11 with 36 yards and an INT. Mix in an atrocious performance by the line and you officially have a recipe for an offensive disaster.

2) Run game
----------As expected by now, Chicago failed to establish any semblance of a run game. Chicago' backs carried 16 times for 59 yards, an average of 3.7 YPC (that includes an 11 yard reverse by Hester). I like to see the YPC at at least 4, and although the Bears weren't far off, they still didn't get close to 100 total ground yards in a game where passing the ball proved to be futile early. They know they need to get the ground game going, and this was the perfect opportunity against a Giants team that was already demolishing them in the pass.

3) Recievers
----------I primarily blame poor quarterback execution on the lack of a passing game. Although Bears' receivers didn't have the greatest day getting open, there were enough opportunities and openings for the quarterback to have dumped it off short. The team leader in catches, Greg Olsen, made 5 grabs, which is much too little for an established passing attack.

4) Special Teams
----------Hester had a bad day returning punts and Manning had a bad day returning kickoffs. Hester managed 6 total yards out of two rare opportunites and Manning had three opportunities but averaged less than 20 yards a return. The brightest spot was kicker Robbie Gould, who converted his only attempt from 40 yards out.

5) Coaching Staff
----------What happened to the in-game adjustments we saw against the Cowboys? What happened to the well executed gameplan we saw against Green Bay? This offensive performance was so bad that the only explanation I'm left to ponder is whether or not offensive coordinator Mike Martz did any homework at all on this Giants' defense.

I stated in previous articles that adjusting to opponents was one of the most prodominate reasons for this team's success. The biggest problem lies in the fact that offensive line coach Mike Tice did adjust his line at many times throughout the game, but still to no avail. When this happens, it is not time to attempt another change on the line but rather different schemes for Cutler and the receivers, and that fault lies on Martz.

The Ugly

I really want to title this section The Hideous or maybe The Atrocious or something along those lines, but I think the way I have it now gets the point across sufficiently enough. The Atrocious for this week...uh, I mean The Ugly, is obviously the offensive line (and that includes blocking tight ends). At least 7 different Bears blockers aloud a rusher to get by them and Bears' quarterbacks were knocked to the turf 10 times on the night, 9 in the first half alone, setting an NFL record for most sacks in a half. Five different Giants' rushers were credited with at least one sack, including 3 from both Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. With two quarterbacks knocked out of the game, this officially becomes the worst performance I have ever seen from an offensive line and perhaps the worst performance in NFL history.

MVP

As you are about to see from my answer, this article only includes Bears' performers, so I will take Gould on this one. He converted his only attempt from 40 yards out, leaving him responsible for the only Bears' points in the contest.

Looking Ahead to Next Week

In Week 5, Chicago looks to rebound against a winless Panthers team that has seen losses to the Giants, Buccaneers, Bengals and Saints. Although they have no wins in 2010, Carolina has a talented back in DeAngelo Williams that can change the course of a game. Despite his success on the ground, however, he has proven to be no threat in the receiving game, and that's trouble if you also factor in an inexperienced Panthers' receiving core. With rookie QB Jimmie Clausen behind center, expect Chicago to focus defensive schemes heavily on pass rush and either get that sack count higher or force bad throws from an inexperienced quarterback.

Despite the success I predict from the defense, I still won't rest easy with Collins or Caleb Hanie starting at quarterback. Thus, I will reserve my prediction until I know whether or not Cutler plans to make an appearance. But unless kinks on the o-line are taken care of, it might not matter in the long run.

NFL Predictions: Week 4

Last Week's Record: 9-7
Cumulative Season Record: 28-20
________________________________________________________

49ers @ Falcons: FALCONS

Jets @ Bills: JETS

Bengals @ Browns: BENGALS

Lions @ Packers: PACKERS

Broncos @ Titans: TITANS

Seahawks @ Rams: SEAHAWKS

Panthers @ Saints: SAINTS

Ravens @ Steelers: RAVENS

Texans @ Raiders: TEXANS

Colts @ Jaguars: COLTS

Redskins @ Eagles: EAGLES

Cardinals @ Chargers: CHARGERS

SNF: Bears @ Giants: BEARS

MNF: Patriots @ Dolphins: DOLPHINS
___________________________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 3 Review (Packers 17--Bears 20)

The Story

Does the regular season get any better than the Bears and the Packers, the last two undefeated teams left in the NFC, going head-to-head on Monday Night Football in their NFL record 180th meeting?

Easy answer--no.

This game was more back and forth than a seesaw, but the Monsters of the Midway did what good teams do, they found a way to win. With so many back and forth plays, it was hard to tell who would come out on top until Robbie Gould nailed a 19 yard field goal with just four strikes left on the game clock to move the Bears to a 3-0 record and solidy their spot as the last undefeated team in the NFC.

The Bears played well enough to win in all phases, especially special teams. Devin Hester's 62 yard punt return for a touchdown near the start of the 4th gave Chicago a 14-10 lead and broke Hester's drought from December of 2007, the last time he had brought one back. Gould did miss a 49-yarder early in the contest but redeemed himself by nailing the chip shot to win it, of course a high pressure situation. And rounding it out was Julius Peppers who blocked a game-changing 37 yard field goal from Packers K Mason Crosby.

On offense, Jay Cutler had a game somewhere between mediocre and good, going 16-27 for 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, and a passer rating of 82.5. The run game still failed to show up, as Cutler found himself the leading rusher with 3 runs for 37 yards. Receiving, Knox did make 4 grabs for a team high 94 yards, but Olsen made 5 catches for 64 yards and the all important touchdown reception to cut Green Bay's lead to 3 and make it a 10-7 game just before the half.

If you don't want to give the game ball to special teams, then undoubtedly it goes to the defense. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs each recorded a team-leading 9 tackles and the linebacking duo teamed up to deflect and intercept an Aaron Rodgers hail mary try to end the first half. And at the most critical point for Chicago's defense, Urlacher made a fantastic strip on Green Bay's James Jones to allow the offense to win the game. Tim Jennings, who also proved to be a contributor with 7 tackles, recovered that forced fumble. Also, Peppers forced the Pack's O-line to hold him multiple times in order to prevent sacks. With 2 turnovers on the night in a tough football game against a solid offense, the Bears' D made the stops when it came down to it.

On Green Bay's side, their offense had a productive day with 379 total yards, but costly penalties on both sides of the ball cost them this game. In being flagged 18 times for a ridiculous 152 yards, the Packers found themselves giving the game away, as two turnovers were erased by penalties and multiple holding calls backed up the offense. And with the Bears offense getting help from pass interference calls late in the game, Green Bay just made one too many sloppy mistakes to win this game.

Main Factor

The main factor in winning this game were the penalties and the resiliant play of the Bears' defense. Green Bay made too many mistakes on offense and defense via penalties, backing them up a total of 152 yards. When you have more penalties than points, you most likely will not win the football game.

Meanwhile, Chicago played "bend-but-not-break" defense; they gave up a lot of yards (379 total) but did not allow the Pack to score very much. Rodgers was able to march Green Bay up the field, but the nasty Chicago D stiffened up when necessary. And with the absence of Packers RB Ryan Grant, they made things easier on themselves by forcing Green Bay to be one-demensional, only allowing 63 rushing yards in the contest.

Strategy

With 1:44 remaining in regulation, Chicago had first and goal on Green Bay's 9 yard line in a 17-17 game. Green Bay had one timeout. Chicago elected to run the ball three consecutive times and then take a Robbie Gould field goal with just :04 remaining.

Should Packers head coach Mike McCarthy have purposely allowed the Bears to score in order to give his offense a chance to drive down the field and tie the game?

My answer is yes.

First of all, Bears head coach Lovie Smith should have had Cutler kneel on the ball three straight times. For any NFL kicker, there should be no noticeable difference between a 28 yard field goal and the one Gould nailed from 19 yards out--both should go in every time. So the extra 8 yards wouldn't have mattered for the 3rd most accurate kicker in NFL history. Why risk a Forte fumble and turnover when you have a very clutch, very accurate kicker waiting to nail it?

But considering the Bears didn't decide to sit on the ball, McCarthy should've let Chicago run it in for a score on first and goal. By not going that route, Chicago could take advantage of Green Bay's one timeout and milk just about every second off the clock (and that is exactly how it happened). With Gould as the kicker, McCarthy knew that the ball would go throught the uprights unless a miracle block occurs, which has proven to be a very rare feat in the NFL.

By allowing a Chicago touchdown, Green Bay gives themselves roughly 1:40 left with a timeout and the ball in Rodgers' hands. That is plenty of time to score, and the only logical route to go. And when a game gets to overtime, anything goes.

So forget all this mumbo jumbo about how intentionally allowing points is a bad example for the defense and how you need to take the stand no matter what. In the famous words of former head coach Herm Edwards, "you play to win the game!"

Who knows what would have happened had the Pack allowed Forte to run it in? But I will tell you this much, their chances of being 3-0 right now definitely improve if they would have given it a shot.

MVP

I'm going to be greedy and select two MVPs this week: Julius Peppers and Devin Hester. It's very simple--if Peppers doesn't create great pass rush, then Green Bay doesn't get charged for many of those costly holding penalties. And the blocked field goal changed the entire course of the rest of the game; If that kick isn't blocked, then we're never even looking at a 20-17 Bears lead to begin with.

Hester's punt return for a 62 yard touchdown shifted momentum back to Chicago and gave them the lead. Good players make it happen when it needs to happen, and that is why Hester gets my game ball (well, half of it anyway).

Looking Ahead to Next Week

Next week, on Sunday Night Football, the Bears will take on the New York Football Giants under the lights of New Meadowlands Stadium.

With Giants QB Eli Manning having thrown 6 interceptions in three games this season, expect a nasty Bears' pass rush to either break their sacking slump at two games or more turnovers by some bad throws. RB Ahmad Bradshaw has looked good through three, but considering the Bears have the #1 rated run defense in the league, expect hidden, mixed blitz coverages to limit Bradshaw. The Giants do have some other weapons on offense, but it can become quickly irrelevant if Chicago sets the tone early with nasty defensive packages.

For Chicago's offense, they need to continue mixing up Martz's gameplan. With protection, I would love to see more deep balls attempted downfield. But considering we're already going into Week 4, it's about time to get the ground game cranked up. With two talented backs in Forte and Chester Taylor, all it'll take is some commitment to the rush until some lanes are opened up. If the Bears can establish the ground early, then that will open up the field for more play-action passes, turning a whole new page in the Martz playbook.

Prediction: Bears 24--Giants 20

NFL Predictions: Week 3

Last Week's Record: 10-6
Cumulative Season Record: 19-13
__________________________________________________

49ers @ Chiefs: 49ERS

Lions @ Vikings: VIKINGS

Bills @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

Falcons @ Saints: SAINTS

Titans @ Giants: GIANTS

Steelers @ Buccaneers: STEELERS

Bengals @ Panthers: BENGALS

Browns @ Ravens: RAVENS

Cowboys @ Texans: TEXANS

Redskins @ Rams: REDSKINS

Eagles @ Jaguars: EAGLES

Colts @ Broncos: COLTS

Raiders @ Cardinals: CARDINALS

Chargers @ Seahawks: CHARGERS

SNF: Jets @ Dolphins: DOLPHINS

MNF: Packers @ Bears: BEARS
__________________________________________________

SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 2 Review (Bears 27--Cowboys 20)

Dallas wins. Chicago loses. The hostile crowd was too much for Jay Cutler and the Bears offense. That nasty Dallas defense led by linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer was just too much for an inexperienced Chicago receiving core--but that's just what most people assumed they would be watching on Sunday afternoon.

But the more football you watch, the more you learn that anything can happen...on any given Sunday.

The Bears played into that football catchphrase yesterday by playing solid in all 3 phases of the game. In fact, even the 4th phase stepped up, as Bears fans that drove down to Texas could be heard and at times even outscreamed the Dallas faithful of over 100,000 strong in that new Cowboys Stadium. As a Bears fan, yesterday's game was not what I expected, but everything I had hoped for.

Chicago hadn't last won in Dallas since 1986. The Monsters of the Midway hadn't started a season 2-0 since they last reached the Super Bowl in 2006. Dallas had lost a painful one to Washington the week before, and were looking to be boosted back to health by way of beating up on a Bears team that nobody expected to go anywhere at all this season. Well, Chicago hasn't gone anywhere yet, but they are quickly erasing reasons to doubt.

In beating Dallas 27-20 on Sunday, Cutler passed for 277 yards with 3 TDs, no pics, and a QB rating of 136.7. WR Devin Hester, who was criticised by the media last week for only making one reception versus Detroit, caught 4 balls for 77 yards and a one handed mid-air touchdown snab that made SportsCenters' Top Ten Plays list. RB Matt Forte and TE Greg Olsen also chipped in a touchdown each and a combined 78 yards receiving. And rounding out the offense was WR Johnny Knox who caught 4 passes worth 86 big ones, including a 59 yard bomb from Cutler that peacefully floated right into Knox's arms.

The way the first two offensive drives went, a fair prediction would have been that Cutler was going to end up in a full body cast and breathing tube. If Cutler wasn't running for his life on every play, then I must've not been watching the right game, 'cause that's sure what it looked like. But everything changed when LT Chris Williams was found being examined by medical personnel. As a replacement, Chicago sent in Kevin Shaffer to play left tackle in place of Williams, who was done for the game, but Shaffer struggled. For this reason, they gave the left tackle spot to Frank Omiyale and then moved Shaffer to right, who was much more comfortable there in his natural position.

I thought Omiyale played one heck of a game; one of the hardest aspects to football is adjusting, and Omiyale seemed to be a master of it after relieving Shaffer. In fact, adjustments proved to be a major headline to this matchup, as O-line Coach Mike Tice had to quickly calm his line and make the necessary changes before any more damage was done in later series'.

Beyond that, Cutler and Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz discovered a new game plan that worked better than the one they initially drew up. Implementing this after realizing the poor protection by the offensive line, Martz had Cutler rely more on quick screens and slants rather than elaborate, drawn out pass plays that required time in the pocket. And whenever they did mix in deep routes, TEs Brandon Manumaleuna and Olsen were kind enough to team up and create a good double tight end set to help make double teams on Dallas's d-line and prevent blitzes.

Forte and Chester Taylor helped with a combined 46 receiving yards, but they only ran for 29 and 6 yards, respectively. So despite the passing game impressing me more and more each week, Chicago's run game continues to fail; other teams will eventually classify Chicago as being a one-demensional offense and thus force the Bears to excercise their backfield, which will be a problem unless they get used to a run game soon.

But besides individual performances, the offense as a whole cooperated well. They adjusted to everything Dallas did, didn't turn the ball over, and they found ways to prevent Dallas from getting a good read on their game plan by switching up their play, most notably speaking of deep passes when Cutler read single man coverage downfield.

As for the 2nd phase, I thought the Bears defense was more amazing than Cutler's squad in some ways. CB Zack Bowman recorded a team high 10 tackles and Tillman made 8 of his own with a forced fumble incuded. But considering the Cowboys were lead by Tony Romo, I think it's most fair to give the defensive game ball to CB D.J. Moore, who picked off Romo twice in this contest to record his first and second career interceptions, both times leading to Chicago scores. And overall, the Bears D allowed only 36 yards rushing on the day and snabbed three takeaways. A very impressive performance indeed.

But because it's not realistic nor reasonable to smile all the time, I must point out the negatives I saw on Sunday. For the defense, despite the three takeaways, there were no sacks. Not that I expect Julius Peppers to flatten the quarterback every game, but I would've liked to see some mixups in the blitzing schemes that could result in either multiple sacks or constant pressure that would've made Romo not be able to let his receivers complete their respective routes.

On the offensive side, besides the early play of the line, Chicago needs much better third down execution. Going 1-11, as they did on Sunday, was unacceptable. Considering fourth downs are meant for punts, if you can't convert on third, then you just limited yourself to having two plays to get a new first (which normally won't be done).

But excluding the fact that Williams and Major Wright were taken out of the game for injuries, the day looked very positive in Chicago.

A 2-0 start is always good, and it feels even better when you're one of only 7 teams in the league that can claim one. But next week, on Monday Night Football, undefeated seasons are on the line for both teams as Chicago takes the field in a grueling matchup with Green Bay under the lights of Soldier Field.

NFL Predictions: Week 2

Last Week's Record: 9-7
Cumulative Season Record: 9-7
____________________________________________________________

Cardinals @ Falcons: FALCONS


Ravens @ Bengals: RAVENS


Chiefs @ Browns: CHIEFS


Bears @ Cowboys: COWBOYS


Eagles @ Lions: EAGLES


Bills @ Packers: PACKERS


Steelers @ Titans: TITANS


Dolphins @ Vikings: VIKINGS


Buccaneers @ Panthers: PANTHERS


Seahawks @ Broncos: BRONCOS


Rams @ Raiders: RAIDERS


Patriots @ Jets: PATRIOTS


Jaguars @ Chargers: CHARGERS


Texans @ Redskins: TEXANS


SNF: Giants @ Colts: COLTS


MNF: Saints @ 49ers: SAINTS
______________________________________________________________


SNF=Sunday Night Football
MNF=Monday Night Football

Bears Week 1 Review (Lions 14--Bears 19)

Of the 32 teams in the National Football League, there is not a big list that would lose to the Detroit Lions, especially Week 1 in front of their own pride. The Bears, whilst scraping out a desperation 19-14 win Sunday afternoon, avoided being added to that list.

If you have been anywhere near Chicago in the past 24 hours, you've most likely heard about the controversial call that overtook the NFL's Sunday spotlight within minutes of occuring. With just :24 left to play in the game, Lions' backup QB Shaun Hill nailed WR Calvin Johnson in the endzone for the apparent go-ahead score that would've put Detroit up 20-19 and just about wrapped up the game, barring a Windy City miracle. However, after video review, the officials determined it to be an incomplete pass, for Johnson failed to hold onto the ball after his right hand hit the ground.

Considering this one play seems to be the main and only attraction to discussing this regular season opener, I feel discussing this play before anything else is the logical thing to do.

Everyone except the NFL Officials' office seems intent on believing that this play should have resulted in a score--even Bears' fans are claiming that their team rightfully lost. And I too was convinced it was the wrong call until I saw it for close to the 15th time. But I later determined (and attempted to be entirely objective in the process) that the only reason most fans, as educated on the topic as they may be, believe it was a touchdown was because it looked like a touchdown. But as we've all heard before, things aren't always as they appear to be.

It appeared to be six points right up until Johnson's right hand reached for the ground. Catching the ball: check. Feet down in bounds: check. Maintaining complete possession of the ball throughout the entire catch: ...not check.

The most common reason I've been hearing as to why it is a touchdown is that Johnson caught the ball and got his feet down in the endzone. Although those are essential parts of making an NFL touchdown reception, that is not the total package of requirements. Johnson needed to maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire catch; this is something he failed to do. When watching the replay multiple times, it becomes more and more clear each time that, as Johnson's right hand hit the grass, the ball squeezes out. If you don't believe me, consult Rule 8, Section 1, Article 4 of the official NFL Rulebook for a detailed and thorough explanation.

And about a minute before Johnson's incomplete catch, when Forte made his 28-yard TD snab in the left corner of the endzone, the goal line official didn't call the play a touchdown until he clearly saw Forte roll back over to reveal that the ball was infact still within his grip, proving that he had maintained complete possession throughout the entire process of the catch.

As a last note to this play, I think it ridiculous that, in an effort to defend their belief on this play rightfully being a touchdown, some say that this was actually a fumble. Number one: it wasn't a fumble if the receiver never had complete control (in that case it's simply incomplete). And number two: the whole point of claiming it to be a fumble would be to say that Johnson fumbled after he scored the touchdown. If you didn't know, it's impossible and illogical to get a touchdown and fumble on the same play.

But now that we've covered the Johnson play, I'd like to take a moment to discuss the Bears and their performance in their 2010 regular season matinee.

To begin with the offense, I thought Jay Cutler had a great game, going 23-35 for 372 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT for a passer rating of 108.3. Besides the fumble, I thought the only other play that needs correcting was his interception, which he threw into triple coverage and got picked off by Lions' CB Aaron Berry after being tipped around. This play was simply a bad decision--an unfortunate reminder of many Cutler throws in his debut season in a Bears' uniform.

I also liked the play of the receivers, especially Devin Aromashodu and Johnny Knox, who caught 5 and 3 passes for 71 and 52 yards, respectively. Bears RB Chester Taylor also chipped in 44 yards coming out of the backfield.

But the most important offensive piece to this victory was RB Matt Forte. Although he only ran for 50 yards on 17 carries for an average of 2.9 YPC, he was sensational through the air, catching 7 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs, including an 89-yard catch and run screen pass from Cutler. And to add to his day, it was the timing that struck me the most. With less than two minutes remaining in the first half and the Bears trailing 14-3, Forte bursted through the Detroit secondary to change the entire complexion of the game by not only closing the gap but also providing a huge momentum burst going into the locker room.

On the defensive side of the ball, there were many questions heading into the season. But overall I thought the defense performed exceptionally well. With Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Bears newbie Julius Peppers leading the way, Chicago managed 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 5 quarterback hits. And although allowing Lions tailback Jahvid Best two touchdowns on the ground, Chicago held Detroit to just 20 rushing yards on the day.

Despite the offense and defense providing somewhat lengthy highlight reels, there are still a few problems with what I saw from Chicago on Sunday. The offensive line allowed the Detroit D to get to Cutler 4 times, which is simply too many. Also, the offense and coaching staff need to produce where it counts; the Bears failed to get 1 yard on four plays to get the go ahead score. And finally, Chicago turned the ball over 4 times, which, even against lowly-Detroit, is a recipe for disaster. If you told me that the Bears would have 4 giveaways every game, I'd expect to see a 1-15 season. And, to add insult to injury, it seemed as though every Bears turnover came at the worst possible time.

Like the other 15 games that are showcased in Week 1, there are positive and negative things to take away. But what counts is the corrections that the Bears will make throughout this week and heading into Dallas for a Week 2 matchup with America's Team.

NFL Predictions: Season Records, Playoffs, and Superbowl

**Playoff team

NFC East:
**Dallas: 11-5 (11-5 last year)
N.Y. Giants: 9-7 (8-8 last year)
Philadelphia: 7-9 (11-5 last year)
Washington: 6-10 (4-12 last year)

NFC West:
**San Francisco: 11-5 (8-8 last year)
Seattle: 8-8 (5-11 last year)
Arizona: 7-9 (10-6 last year)
St. Louis: 3-13 (1-15 last year)

NFC North:
**Green Bay: 12-4 (11-5 last year)
**Minnesota: 11-5 (12-4 last year)
Chicago: 8-8 (7-9 last year)
Detroit: 4-12 (2-14 last year)

NFC South:
**New Orleans: 12-4 (13-3 last year)
**Atlanta: 10-6 (9-7 last year)
Carolina: 5-11 (8-8 last year)
Tampa Bay: 4-12 (3-13 last year)

AFC East:
**N.Y. Jets: 11-5 (9-7 last year)
**Miami: 10-6 (7-9 last year)
New England: 9-7 (10-6 last year)
Buffalo: 5-11 (6-10 last year)

AFC West:
**San Diego: 12-4 (13-3 last year)
Denver: 6-10 (8-8 last year)
Kansas City: 5-11 (4-12 last year)
Oakland: 3-13 (5-11 last year)

AFC North:
**Baltimore: 11-5 (9-7 last year)
Cincinnati: 9-7 (10-6 last year)
Pittsburgh: 7-9 (9-7 last year)
Cleveland: 5-11 (5-11 last year)

AFC South:
**Indianapolis: 13-3 (14-2 last year)
**Houston: 10-6 (9-7 last year)
Tennessee: 7-9 (8-8 last year)
Jacksonville: 5-11 (7-9 last year)


NFC PLAYOFFS

Wild Card: Atlanta            30
                   San Francisco 17

                   Minnesota       24
                   Dallas              33

Divisional: Atlanta            17   
                   Green Bay       34

                   Dallas             24
                   New Orleans  23

NFC Championship: Dallas          30
                                Green Bay   23


AFC PLAYOFFS

Wild Card: Miami           17
                   Houston        33

                   N.Y. Jets      23
                   Baltimore      20

Divisional: Houston       23
                   San Diego    33

                   N.Y. Jets     17
                   Indianapolis  30

AFC Championship: San Diego     24   
                              Indianapolis  30

SUPER BOWL XLV: Indianapolis  24
                                 Dallas           28

Super Bowl XLV Champion:  DALLAS COWBOYS

NFL Predictions: Week 1

TNF: Vikings @ Saints: SAINTS

Lions @ Bears: BEARS

Broncos @ Jaguars: JAGUARS

Colts @ Texans: COLTS

Dolphins @ Bills: DOLPHINS

Raiders @ Titans: TITANS

Bengals @ Patriots: PATRIOTS

Panthers @ Giants: GIANTS

Browns @ Buccaneers: BROWNS

Falcons @ Steelers: FALCONS

Cardinals @ Rams: CARDINALS

Packers @ Eagles: PACKERS

49ers @ Seahawks: 49ERS

SNF: Cowboys @ Redskins: COWBOYS

MNF: Ravens @ Jets: JETS

MNF: Chargers @ Chiefs: CHARGERS
__________________________________________________________________________
*TNF=Thursday Night Football
*SNF=Sunday Night Football
*MNF=Monday Night Football

**NOTE** I will post my prediction records from both the previous week and my cumulative season record on each new weekly entry (obviously Week 1 is the only exception).

Bears Preseason Wrap Up: What Did We Learn?

Chicago's favorite Bears found themselves on the losing end of their first preseason game of the season. The unfortunate anecdote is that similar scores could be seen in their following three games to end the "glorified practices". Nobody likes making infamous history, but the Bears did just that yesterday, finishing the 2010 preseason without a win for the first time since 1998. You can say 0-4 all you want, but come September 12th the National Football League will let Chicago start fresh again at a clean 0-0 record when 'Da Bears' take the field against Detroit to begin a grueling campaign that is the 2010 Bears schedule.

If you care to look at history, consider that the 1985 Monsters of the Midway were 0-3 in the preseason before salvaging a win. Or maybe that just two years ago, before the Lions made history by being the first NFL team without a win in a 16 game season, they dominated preseason play with a 4-0 record. And if you enjoy the present even more, how about the fact that Indy just finished going 0-4 as well to begin this year? But whether I see four wins or four losses, I don't get caught up in preseasonal record. If you believe that wins and losses are the important thing, then you might as well go to Bears training camp in Bourbonnais and try to keep score between Jay Cutler and Julius Peppers.

My number one concern with preseason football is injuries; as long as every player in a blue and orange jersey jogs off the field after every series without grimacing, the other meaningless details are just dandy with me. Well, I wish it was that simple. But while trying to keep everyone healthy, it is still important to see improvements and make corrections.

In watching all four games, though, I saw an 0-4 record and multiple injuries, some pertaining to starters and some benchwarmers. But this doesn't make the preseason a disaster. In fact, I wouldn't even say this preseason was a failure.

The media has blown these losses into such a big deal that it looks as though some of those writers expect the armageddon as soon as Jay Cutler throws his first pass against the Detroit defense. Although none of the four games were particularly impressive performances, there are nevertheless positive things to take away from them.

In paying attention to individual performances, I saw multiple players that showed impressive skill and development--most notably those that make up the receiving core.

Devin Aromashodu proved to be worthy of playing time late last year in being a great third man off the bench. He looks to continue from right where he ended, as he's caught 7 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in this year's preseason. He hasn't had many opportunities, but when he does he seems to always take full advantage. Although it doesn't help that new offensive coordinator Mike Martz has implemented a very complicated offensive system, it'll provide this very young core new opportunities that may spark success; if the Bears can concoct some imagination when given the football, that could lead to these speedy receivers making big plays for Cutler and the offense.

Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Rashied Davis, and Juaquin Iglesius also look good. Knox leads Bears receivers with 7 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. Davis had an standout fourth game in Cleveland, and Iglesius has shown sparks of development that he might be able to turn into a consistent helping hand off the bench. Hester brings previously unseen speed and good hands to a young core in which he finds himself one of the most experienced.

And it is important to mention the solid effort by second string quarterback Todd Collins on Saturday. In getting the start in lou of Cutler's day off, Collins went 10 for 15 with 139 yards and a TD in two quarters of play. He looked poised and controlled, and what we saw from Collins was particularly impressive considering how recently he signed with the team. But hey, I guess that's what 16 years in the league can do for you.

But no matter how many shining stars I saw, I can't deny that this team has its fair share of problems.

My most notable concern is the play of the offensive line. To begin the preseason in San Diego, Cutler had to be removed early due to the coaching staff's fear of him leaving the stadium crippled from a meaningless game. This concern goes especially to left tackle Chris Williams, who just looks completely beatable no matter which lineman lines up opposite him. Perhaps he's struggling at this position because of how much time he saw at right tackle last year, but I don't think that the transitioning process should be impeding his progress to a point of a standstill, which is close to what we're seeing.

Another concern is the recent roster cuts of saftey Al Afalava and special teams master Tim Shaw. Afalava was the fourth stringer behind Chris Harris, Josh Bullocks, and Major Wright at the free safety position. But Harris hasn't played with Chicago for years, so why do the Bears feel guaranteed results out of him? And Wright is new to the NFL, so there's no guarantee he'll produce either. And as for Shaw, he led Chicago in special teams tackles last season, and he's got an eye for getting to the ball like he carries a radar on the field. Nick Roach and Pisa Tinoisamoa do produce better results at the linebacker postition, but who will make all of those special teams tackles that he won't be making now? I understand the Bears must cut their roster from 75 to their final 53 man squad by September 4th but I feel cuts may have been better suited at other positions with more skill and depth.

So it wasn't the greatest preseason we could've asked for. But games are not won and lost in the preseason and futures are not sealed in September. They may have left Cleveland 0-4, but they will be 0-0 when they debut in Soldier Field against Detroit.

Is Manny a Good Fit With Sox?

Manny Ramirez has agreed to swing the bat for the White Sox--and they've agreed to let him.

The White Sox claimed Ramirez off waivers from his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on August 30th; the Sox will assume payment of the rest of Ramirez's salary this season, which stands at roughly $3.8 million. But as the dust now clears, some fans can be found paying closer attention to the White Sox's final 29 games than they did their first 133. Others are convinced that the 12-time All Star is too much trouble to be worth the slim chance that he might produce.

The way I see it, I can't see any reason this is a bad move for Chicago.

Nay-sayers will talk about his alleged steriod use, as he was found to be one of 104 players who tested positive for PEDs in a 2003 survey. They will also talk about his off the field issues, ranging from rumors of grotesque activities in hotel rooms to the overall way he treats others.

But no matter how he spends his freetime in a hotel room, it doesn't change the fact that on top of his 12 All Star appearances he also owns two World Series rings, for one of which he was also awarded the Most Valuable Player award. And if you'd like a cherry on top of your sundae, this nine-time Silver Slugger award and two-time Hank Aaron award winner can also claim leading the American League in RBIs, home runs and batting average, each of which was accomplished on a different year than the others.

But if you don't care for past statistics, as this 38 year old is well past his prime, then maybe you'd be willing to look at recent success. Ramirez has only appeared in 67 games this year (66 with LA, 1 with Chicago), but he stilled boasts a batting average of .312 with 8 homers and 40 driven in. His three trips to the disabled list this season has been the reason for playing less than half the Dodgers' schedule.

But injuries aside, when Manny is hot there is seemingly no stopping him. He is a natural born run producer who also ranks 14th on baseball's All Time Home Run List with 554 career long ones. Manny is the type of player than can help a team focus in on a goal, which for the White Sox lies in surpassing the surging Twins and ripping the AL Central title out from under them. He is a veteran leader that has proven himself in the game of baseball.

And unlike with his time in Los Angeles this year, Ramirez now wakes up everyday knowing that he is in the thick of a pennant race this season. But being four games out at the beginning of September is no easy hole to climb out of. Regardless of their chances, the mentality changes when racing for a pennant; the players can wake up everyday with a purpose to jog out onto that field.

Considering Manny just joined a new team, and his fourth in his career, we can rightfully expect him to be on his best behavior from here on out; he needs to get to know the players in the locker room before he can make them wish he wasn't there. But they seem excited to have him and hopefully he feels excited to be there. And with Manny playing not just for the playoffs but also for a contract for next season, with whoever that may be, expecting his best behavior shouldn't be considered a stretch.

But the best part of it all is that if the Sox become fed up with Manny and his antics, they can simply release him at the end of the year (which I fully expect them to do). But by paying almost four million dollars to a questionable piece of an offensive puzzle at the beginning of September, GM Kenny Williams is showing that he refuses to lay down and die. Being four games out isn't easy, but then again, crying about it isn't really an option.

Farewell, Lou Piniella

The date was September 4th, 1964, and Lou Piniella, donning a Baltimore Orioles jersey, stepped up to bat for the first Major League appearance of his life. Nearly 46 years later, he sat in front of the Chicago media and delivered one of the most heartfelt and tearful goodbyes to baseball of all time.

Despite playing in the Majors for 16 years, most people seem to remember Piniella for his managerial career, which began in New York in 1986 when Piniella got his first stint with the Yankees. After three seasons in the Big Apple, Piniella relocated to Cincinnati to coach the Reds to an eventual World Series title in his first season as Reds' manager. That would be the only championship of his managerial career (he won two playing with the Yankees as a left fielder).

His longest tenure as manager came in Seattle, in which Piniella stayed for ten years from 1993-2002. In this decade of work, Piniella twice recieved the Manager of the Year award, the second of which coming after leading the Mariners to 116 wins, tying a franchise record. After his time in Seattle, he managed for the Devil Rays, who had struggled year after year. Piniella led them to a franchise-tying 70 wins, and for the first time in a long time, they didn't finish last in their division. After tensions rose, Piniella decided to discontinue his time in Tampa, and that is when he departed to Chicago, the last managerial stop he would ever make.

He had a good time in the Windy City, although he wasn't met with much success. Of his final four seasons as a manager, his best was 2008, when he received NL Manager of the Year honors after leading the Cubs to the best regular season record in the National League. Despite an apparent destined season to end the championship drought at exactly a century, the Cubs were eliminated from postseason contention courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2008 NLDS, and in sweeping fashion no less. One billy goat curse, a couple trades and two years later, here we are, watching Piniella step down from the postgame podium for the last time in his life.

On July 20th, Piniella told the Cubs that he would retire at the end of the season. This plan was cut short, as Piniella found himself having to miss multiple series' to visit and aid his ill mother in Florida. Worrying about his mother and the team, especially in the state of disarray they've found themselves this season, was simply too much, and Piniella announced he would put his retirement into effect immediately following the conclusion of Sunday's game with the Braves.

So at the final pitch of Sunday's 16-5 drubbing by the Braves, nearly every inhabitant of the Friendly Confines stood and cheered for one of the greatest faces of managerial baseball in this generation. With a tip of his cap to Braves manager and friend, Bobby Cox, from across dugouts, Piniella proceeded into the Cubs locker room for the last time, and then the hard part began.

"This'll be the last time I put on a uniform," Piniella said with tears streaming down his face. "It's been very special for me."

I've never delivered a retirement speech, but I can imagine that the hardest part of the whole process is sitting in front of the media for the last time. I imagine his career flashing before his eyes like a montage in his head while he tells the world of how he will never sit in a Major League dugout ever again. It's never easy, but his mother needs him, and he certainly has his priorities in order. Piniella is 66 years of age, so I hope that he has taken everything out of the game that he's ever wanted to.

Success isn't unknown to him, as he has racked up 1,835 wins in 3,548 attempts (.517 winning %) throughout 23 seasons as a manager. And with three total championship rings and three Manager of the Year awards, Piniella can walk away from the game with more than a few good memories. He's ranted at the media yet also laughed with them, he's defended his players like they were his children, and he has respected the integrity of the game like he made the rules himself.

I find it easy to dislike all the teams Piniella has played for, and I also find it easy to dislike all the teams Piniella has managed. But the one thing I don't find easy is disliking Piniella himself. As one of the faces of the Cubs franchise the past four years, I never had any special devotion to him. But now that he's gone, Chicago finds itself in a state of shock to look at the Cubs dugout and not see the famous skipper from Tampa.

It will be a healing process for Cubs fans and the organization itself, now in a sense of urgency to find the next manager of the future. But they have waved farewell to "Sweet Lou", as will I, for although I have no allegiance to the Cubs, I must admit that I hold him in the highest of reguards. As Cubs fans think back to the good times he has brought them, we can all say together: Farewell, Lou Piniella.

**Quotation and statistics courtesy of Comcast Sportsnet Chicago**